Sewer snake drive



Jan. 29, 1963 K. J. KOLLMANN SEWER SNAKE DRIVE Filed Fb. 4. 1960 INVENTOR. KARL 1J. KoLLM/NN 3,675,218 Patented Jan. 29, 1953 svezia SEWER SNAKE BREVE Karl J. Heilmann, 3615 Sassafras St., Erie, Pa. enea nee. 4, i960, ser. Ne. 6,695 1 Claim. (Ci. S-tll) This invention relates to sewer cleaning machines and, more particularly, to the type of sewer cleaning machine wherein a sewer snake is rotated by power means with a cutter end thereof for removing obstructions from a sewer line.

Previous machines of the type disclosed herein were usually made up of a complicated array of parts.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a machine which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eicient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sewer cleaning machine.

A further object of the invention is 4to provide a sewer cleaning machine in combination with an improved clutch and actuating means therefor.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a sewer cleaning machine according to the invent-ion;

FlG. 2 is a front view of the clutch jaws according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side View of one of the clutch jaws.

Now with more specific reference to the drawing, a sewer cleaning machine it? is shown having a sewer snake l1 of the usual type. The snake 11 yas shown does not rotate when the clutch is disengaged but when the clutch is engaged, the snake 1l is rotated by a motor driving pulley 12 through a V-belt or the like. The pulley i2 is shown having two grooves for carrying two belts.

A housing i3 rotatably supports the snake l1 and the pulley i2. During times that the clutch is not engaged, the snake lis stationary and a tube 14 is ixed and keyed to the pulley 12 and rotates in anti-friction bearings 15 and a brass bushing i6. rl`he bushing i6 is supported by a tiange 25. The anti-friction bearing i is carried in a counterbore 17 in the housing 13 and the tube i4 extends through a bore i9.

The reduced size rear end of the tube 14 terminates -in -a shoulder 22 which prevents the tube 14 from sliding rearwardly through the bearing 15. A sleeve 2t) is fixed to .the tube 14 and holds the tube 1d against inward sliding. The bearint7 l5' may be a plain hollow cylindrical bronze bearing and is supported in a ring 39.

The housing 13 has a web 23 extending inwardly which has threaded bores 2d therein and the flange 25 -is attached to the web Z3 by means of studs 2d. The flange 2S has ears 27 attached thereto and these ears have rollers 28 which roll against a cam surface 29. The cam surface El is on the rearward end of a cam member Sii which in turn is integrally attached to a member 21. The member 2l is in the form o a ring having a groove 3l cut therein which receives a thrust bearing 32. The thrust bearing 32 is received -in lthe groove 3i and it engages a rear surface 33 of a collar 34. The member 21 is carried on the outside of the brass bushing 16.

The collar 34 is in the form of a ring having a rear flange 35 and a forward liange 36 with a peripheral groove 37 therebetween. The collar 34 is slidably supported on a sleeve 12'. rthe 'sleeve 12 is tixed to the pulley 12 and fixed to the tube 14. A counterbore 38 is formed in the collar 34 and the counterbore 38 receives the front end of the bushing 16 and the inner ring portion 39 of the member 2, thereby positively holding them together and on the -tubcld.

Spaced holes dit and 41 are formed in the front edge of the ange 36 and some of these holes receive springs 42 and others of these holes receive -bolts 43. The bolts 43 are locked in the holes 41 by means of set screw 44. The front ends of the bolts 43 slidably extend through bores 6d in the pulley i2 and threadably engage holes 45 in a ring d6. Therefore, the bolts #i3 clamp the ring 46 and the collar 34 together to hold them to rotate as a unit on the outside of the tube 14 driven by the pulley 12 through the bolts 43.

A nose cone 47 is fixed to the pulley 12. by means of studs 49 which extend through spaced counterbored holes in the nose cone 47 and threadably engage holes in the pulley 12. Therefore, the pulley l2, the nose cone 47, the ring d6, and the collar 3d rotate together.

Spaced jaws Sti constitute, when assembled, a frustoconical shaped bored member in three segments having the segments urged from each other by springs 51. The springs 51 are disposed in holes 52 in the members and a frusto-conical shaped surface 53 engages an internal counterpart surface 54 inside the nose cone 47. A base surface 55 of the clutch segments is engaged by the front surface of the ring 45.

Therefore, when a handle 57 is grasped by a ball 58 by an operator, the member 2l is rotated, causing the cam surface 2v? to ride forward and around on the rollers 28, thereby forcing, through the thrust bearing 32, the collar 34, bolts 43, and ring iti Iforward, forcing the jaws or clutch members Sti forward, causing them to ride inwardly on the internal frusto-conical surface 54- to .squeeze the inner surface thereof into engagement with the outer periphery of the snake. Thus7 the snake will be clamped to rotate with the pulley 12 and the tube i4. By releasing the handle 57, the springs 42 will force the clutch members 50 and the collar 3d backward and out of engagement with the clutch member, thereby releasing the snake.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the lstructure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claim.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive roperty or privilege is -claimed are dened as follows:

A snake drive comprising a housing having a bearing thereon, a hollow tlanged member on said housing spaced from said bearing, a tube rotatably supported in said bearing and said hollow iianged member, a cam member rotatably supported on said tube, means on said cam member to rotate it, cam means on said hollow flanged member urging said cam member axially when it is rotated, a pulley having a concentric sleeve fixed to said tube to rotate with it, a collar slidably supported on said sleeve, a ring on said tube on the side of said pulley remote from said collar, said collar being disposed between said cam member and said ring, bolt means slidably extending through said pulley and attached to said ring at one end and -to said collar at the other end, a nose piece attached to said pulley and having an internal frusto-conical surface, and clutch jaws defining a frustoconical member in said nose piece, said ring engaging said jaws to urge them into engagement with said conical surface whereby said jaws are forced to slide along said frusto-conical surface and said jaws are urged into clampb ing engagement with a snake adapted to be disposed References Ced iu the flle of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 866,788 Hostein Sept. 24, 1907 4 Kollmann May 21, 194D Chaser Apr. 5, 1955 Deutsch et a1. Apr. 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Nov. 30, 1957 

